Railroad and highway crossing gate



1 March 8 927 J. M. JONES RAILROAD AND HIGHWAY CRO SSING GATE Filed Aug. 19. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'IIIUKIHOI' (1.27: c7022 68,

Iri ME r v e Q W m Attorney March 8,1927. 26-

J. M. JONES RAILROAD "AND HIGHWAY cnossme GATE Filed Aug. 19. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor vii/7.4701766. q 2

, Attorney Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

JAMES M. Jones, on LEW-ISBURG, rnrmnssns.

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Applicationfiled August 19, 1923. lSerial NoflBQflBl.

This invention relates to an improved highway gate adapted to be usedat a point where a highway crosses a railway track, the same serving as a barrier and as a signaling device to aid in avoiding accidents at the railway crossing.

One featureof the invention is gravity closed plate adapted to extend transversely across the highway, this constituting the gate or barrier and-being mounted in 'a box embedded in the surface of the roadso as to accommodate certain operating "mechanisms, and to allow the plate to swing to closed position on a level with the road surface, so as not to hinder free travel over the road surface when the track is clear.

An equally important feature of construction is the means employed for association with the rail, this means embodying a detachable part adapted to be actuated by the wheel flanges, together with means cooperable with said track for insuring smooth operation and equalizing the strains and stresses in order to prevent breakage of parts of the device.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from. the following description and drawings.

In the accompanyingdrawings v Figure. 1 is a top plan View somewhat diagrammatically showing the manner in which the invention is associated with the highway and tracks.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the arrangement and construction of certaln of the details.

Figs. 3 and t are cross sections taken approximately upon the planes of the lines 3-3 and l4: respectively of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the gate, and

6 is a view of a device for dividing and equally distributing the power to the operating mechanisms.

In the drawings, the reference character 1 designates the highway, the reference character Q designates the railway which crosses the highway at right angles. The ramps are designated by the reference characters e and 6. Associated with the track on opposite sides of the highway are train control devices for transmitting power to the signalling and barrier means. Each device, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a depressible shoe or supplemental rail 4: disposed on the inner side of the main rail 3. The approximate elevation of this shoe under normal conditions 1s illustrated in Figure 4. Connected to the opposite ends of this shoe 4 byhinges 5' are outwardly and down-1 wardly inclined equalizing bars 6, thesebeing connected at their outer ends with stir-f rups 7 rockably supporteclupon the webs of therails. Also mounted for oscillation in the rail webs is a transverse rock shaft 8 (seeFigl) upon which cranks 9are formed,

these c'a'nlrs being connected with hinge means 5. Atthe centerof the shaft is a de pending crank arnr lO. The respectiv'ecrank arms, are connected together by a linkil as shown in Figure 2, and connected to this link is a flexible cable 12 extending through the guide tube 13 embedded in the ground,

Asuitable enclosure may be provided for housing the parts 10 andll to facilitate movement. Attention is directed at. this time to 6, wherein the po'wier distribhting device is shown. This comprisesa base plate 14 arrangedin a suitable housing, the same being provided with pulleys 15 at its four corners, over which chains 16 "are passed. The chains are arranged in pairs and the respective cables 12are connected therewithas shown. The chains are then connected to additional cables llwhich'lead tobox'es 18 embedded in the road surface.

Each box is provided with a cover"1"9 which is secured to an oscillatory shaft 20. The shaft is provided with a crank arm 21 and the aforesaid cable 17 is connected to this crank arm, and it is obvious that when the cable is pulled in a direction from right to left as shown in Fig. 5,'the cover 19 Will be sprung up to the dotted line position. In this position it operates as a gate or a barrier since it extends transversely across the highway. Moreover, it acts as a signalling device since it may be seen from a distance.

In practice it is understood that there are two operating devices, there being one on each side of the highway as shown in the diagrammatic illustration made in Fig. 1. Each device comprises two parts which are connected together for a simultaneous operation. In this way, the signaling means will be operated without regarding the direction of approach of the train to the highway. Between these operating devices will be the power distributing device suitably enclosed. Then disposed adjacent to the track and across the highway will be the barriers or gates. Obviously, with this arrangement, when the wheel flanges pass over the parts 4, it is depressed, thus rocking the shafts 8 through the medium of the rocker arms 9. It is obvious that the crank arms 10, through the medium of thelinks 11, exert a pull upon the cable 12, and in'so doing, one pair of the chains 16 is manipulated for simultaneously moving both gates 19 to road closing 7 position.

However when the parts resume their normal state, the gate 19 closes by gravity. As before stated, the mechanism comprising the parts 6 and 7 serves as a stress distributing and equalizing means and renders the operationof the structure decidedly smooth.

It isbelieved that by considering the description in connection with the drawings, a. clear understanding of the invention will be had. Consequently a more lengthy de mental rail. disposed alongside of a track P rail, shafts located beneath the end portions of said supplemental rails, and operating connections between said supplemental rails, operating connections between the shafts and end portions, and means associated with said end portions for rendering the operasaid supplemental rails gradual and true,

means comprising equalizing bars connected with the end portions of the supplemental rails and extending outwardly and down- Wardly, together with stirrups with which the outer ends of bars are connected, said stirrups being adapted to be rockably mounted upon the track rails.

3. In a structure of the class described,

a wheel operated device comprising a pair 7 of supplemental rails adapted for disposition alongside of main rails, said supplemental rails being depressible by wheel flanges, shafts rockably mounted beneath the end portions of said supplemental rails, rocker arm connections between said shafts and end portions of the supplemental rails, equalizing bars'hingedly connected to said end portions, said bars being disposed outwardly and downwardly, rockably mounted stirrups with which the outer end portions of the bars are connected, depending crank arms depending from the intermediate portions of the shafts, and a link connection between said crank arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' JAMES M. JONES. 

